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Subjecting a physical system to extreme conditions is one of the means often used to obtain a better understanding and deeper insight into its organization and structure. In the case of the atomic nucleus, one such approach is to investigate isotopes that have very different neutron-to-proton (N/Z) ratios than in stable nuclei. Light, neutron-rich isotopes exhibit the most asymmetric N/Zratios and those lying beyond the limits of binding, which undergo spontaneous neutron emission and exist only as very short-lived resonances (about 10−21s), provide the most stringent tests of modern nuclear-structure theories. Here we report on the first observation of 28O and 27O through their decay into 24O and four and three neutrons, respectively. The 28O nucleus is of particular interest as, with the Z= 8 and N= 20 magic numbers1,2, it is expected in the standard shell-model picture of nuclear structure to be one of a relatively small number of so-called ‘doubly magic’ nuclei. Both 27O and 28O were found to exist as narrow, low-lying resonances and their decay energies are compared here to the results of sophisticated theoretical modelling, including a large-scale shell-model calculation and a newly developed statistical approach. In both cases, the underlying nuclear interactions were derived from effective field theories of quantum chromodynamics. Finally, it is shown that the cross-section for the production of 28O from a 29F beam is consistent with it not exhibiting a closed N= 20 shell structure.

A long-standing question in nuclear physics is whether chargeless nuclear systems can exist. To our knowledge, only neutron stars represent near-pure neutron systems, where neutrons are squeezed together by the gravitational force to very high densities. The experimental search for isolated multi-neutron systems has been an ongoing quest for several decades1, with a particular focus on the four-neutron system called the tetraneutron, resulting in only a few indications of its existence so far2–4, leaving the tetraneutron an elusive nuclear system for six decades. Here we report on the observation of a resonance-like structure near threshold in the four-neutron system that is consistent with a quasi-bound tetraneutron state existing for a very short time. The measured energy and width of this state provide a key benchmark for our understanding of the nuclear force. The use of an experimental approach based on a knockout reaction at large momentum transfer with a radioactive high-energy 8He beam was key.

High aspect ratio SiO2/SiN (ON) stacked layer etching using hydrofluorocarbon gases was conducted with various ratios of H, F, and C to achieve higher etching rates and precise profile control. The experimental gases were C3HF5, C4HF5, C4H2F4, C4H2F6, C4H4F6and C5H2F10. The oxygen gas flow rate and mixing ratio were optimized to maximize mask selectivity while avoiding clogging at the top of the mask. For comparison, C4F6/CH2F2/Ar/O2, and C4F6/C4F8/CH2F2/Ar/O2were used as reference gas mixtures. The initial screening narrowed the candidate pool to 3 gases: C3HF5, C4H2F6, and C4H4F6. At equivalent power, the C3HF5condition achieved a 15% faster ON etch rate, and C4H2F6achieved a 9% faster ON etch rate compared to the reference condition. Only C4H4F6showed a worse ON etch rate than the reference (∼33%) due to severe mask clogging. Furthermore, C3HF5achieved a 29% faster ON etch rate under high power conditions. It also achieved a 57% faster ON etch rate without excessively compromising selectivity or bow CD expansion after optimization. We report detailed comparisons of etch rate and clogging while controlling the CD profile in the ON stack process.

Spring phytoplankton blooms play a major role in the carbon biogeochemical cycle of the Oyashio region, western subarctic Pacific, where the seasonal biological drawdown effect on seawater pCO2is one of the greatest among the world's oceans. However, the bloom often terminates before depleting macronutrients, and the initiation and magnitude of the bloom is heterogeneous. We conducted a high resolution taxonomic and physiological assessment of phytoplankton in relation to the different physicochemical water masses of Coastal Oyashio Water (COW), Oyashio water (OYW), and modified Kuroshio water (MKW) in the Oyashio region from April to June 2007. Massive diatom blooms were found in April. Then, chlorophyll aconcentration, cell abundance of diatom taxa, and the maximum photosystem II photochemical efficiency (Fv/Fm) were positively correlated with the mixing ratios of COW, suggesting that the spring bloom in April was strongly affected by the intrusion of COW. In the OYW, intensive blooms occurred from the middle of May under low dissolved iron (DFe) concentration (< 0.26 nM). Redundancy analysis showed that while diatom blooms accompanied by COW were related to DFe concentration, this was not the case in the OYW. These results indicated that diatoms in the OYW possess different iron adaptation strategies compared with diatoms in the water masses affected by COW. This led to the spatial heterogeneity of the Oyashio spring bloom. The results presented here demonstrate that water mass characterization with detailed assessments of phytoplankton taxonomy and physiological status can improve our understanding of marine ecosystems.

A history of hypertension is a known risk factor for delirium in patients in intensive care units, but the effect of antihypertensive agents on delirium development is unclear. Nicardipine, a calcium channel blocker, is widely used in ICU as a treatment agent for hypertensive emergency. This study investigated the relationship between the administration of nicardipine hydrochloride and delirium development in patients under mechanical ventilation. We conducted a medical chart review of 103 patients, who were divided into two groups according to the use of nicardipine hydrochloride. The prevalence of delirium was compared with respect to factors such as age, sex, laboratory data, and medical history, by multivariate analysis. 21 patients (20.4 %) were treated with nicardipine hydrochloride in 103 patients. The treatment and non-treatment groups differed significantly in age (72 vs. 65 years) and history of high blood pressure (57% vs. 11%). Multivariate analysis revealed that patients in the treatment group developed delirium significantly less often than those in the non-treatment group (19% vs. 48%). These results suggested that treatment of high blood pressure with nicardipine hydrochloride is a possible method for preventing the development of delirium.

Lipid transfer protein (LTP) is a major fruit allergen. It has, however, recently been revealed that the systemic reaction in peach-allergic patients is related not only to LTP (Pru p 3) but also to gibberellin-regulated protein (Pru p 7). We investigated recombinant Pru p 7 (rPru p 7) for its potential use in worldwide standardization for the diagnosis of peach allergy.

Deposition of black carbon (BC) aerosol in the Arctic lowers snow albedo, thus contributing to warming in the region. However, the processes and impacts associated with BC deposition are poorly understood because of the scarcity and uncertainties of measurements of BC in snow with adequate spatiotemporal resolution. We sampled snowpack at two sites (11 m and 300 m above sea level) at Ny‐Ålesund, Spitsbergen, in April 2013. We also collected falling snow near the surface with a windsock from September 2012 to April 2013. The size distribution of BC in snowpack and falling snow was measured using a single‐particle soot photometer combined with a characterized nebulizer. The BC size distributions did not show significant variations with depth in the snowpack, suggesting stable size distributions in falling snow. The BC number and mass concentrations (CNBCand CMBC) at the two sites agreed to within 19% and 10%, respectively, despite the sites' different snow water equivalent (SWE) loadings. This indicates the small influence of the amount of SWE (or precipitation) on these quantities. Average CNBCand CMBCin snowpack and falling snow at nearly the same locations agreed to within 5% and 16%, after small corrections for artifacts associated with the sampling of the falling snow. This comparison shows that the dry deposition was a small contributor to the total BC deposition. CMBCwere highest (2.4 ± 3.0 μg L−1) in December–February and lowest (1.2 ± 1.2 μg L−1) in September–November. The concentrations of black carbon measured in snowpack in Spitsbergen were somewhat insensitive to the snow water equivalentConcentrations of black carbon in falling snow and ambient air in midwinter were higher than those in fall on averageThe BC concentrations in snowpack measured by this study were lower than those previously reported by factors of 2–6

In the subtropical North Pacific, the east‐west gradient of iron deposition as atmospheric Asian dust strongly affects the zonal distribution of biological N2fixation activity in numerical models, but the in‐situ relationship at a basin‐scale is not well examined. We examined the trans‐Pacific zonal variation in N2fixation activity on 23°N in summer along with environmental parameters that potentially influence diazotrophy. Dissolved inorganic iron (DFe) was consistently low (<0.4 nM) throughout the transect. The atmospheric dust iron (dust‐Fe) flux increased westward, whereas phosphate and labile phosphoric monoesters in the surface decreased westward. N2fixation varied between 34.6 and 298 μmol‐N m−2d−1and was high (>200 μmol‐N m−2d−1) in the central area (150–180°W). N2fixation rates significantly increased with dust‐Fe input only in the western area (137–180°E), whereas the contribution of DFe diffused from below the euphotic zone was often larger in the eastern area (120–170°W). N2fixation was considerably low in the phosphate‐depleted western area despite the excess amount of iron relative to phosphate, and it increased with the labile phosphoric monoesters stock. These indicated that N2fixation was primarily limited by phosphorus in the western area, though this activity also increased with iron supply from dust, likely due to phosphorus‐iron co‐limitation. In contrast, in the phosphorus‐repleted eastern area, iron supplied from dust and below the euphotic zone appeared to limit N2fixation. Overall, N2fixation in the subtropical North Pacific was likely limited by zonally different factors relating to iron and phosphorus availability. N2fixation, a process that converts N2gas into ammonia, substantially affects biological production in subtropical ecosystems, where nitrogenous nutrients are scarce. The availability of both iron and phosphorus are primary factors controlling the growth of N2‐fixing organisms. In North Pacific subtropical waters, iron input as atmospheric Asian dust is considered to control the east‐west variation in N2fixation; however, their relationship is not well‐examined. Here, we investigated the trans‐Pacific distribution of N2fixation activity with iron and phosphorus availability. Our results show that dust input correlates with N2fixation in the western area (137–180°E), which is in contrast with the eastern area (120–170°W), where vertically diffused iron was also important. In the phosphate‐depleted western area, N2fixation positively correlated with the proxies of phosphorus supply, suggesting phosphorus limitation. This indicates phosphorus availability substantially controls the zonal distribution of N2fixation in the subtropical North Pacific through co‐limitation with iron. The limitations are relaxed in the central area (150–180°W), likely due to elevated nutrient supply caused by bottom topography, resulting in a peak in N2fixation. Therefore, the dynamics of both iron and phosphorus must be considered simultaneously to predict the response of N2fixation to environmental changes. Along the zonal transect in the subtropical North Pacific, N2fixation activity was high in the central area (150–180°W)The central North Pacific was characterized by intermediate iron and phosphorus supply in the euphotic zoneEast‐west gradient of phosphorus availability controls the N2fixation in the North Pacific through likely co‐limitation with iron Along the zonal transect in the subtropical North Pacific, N2fixation activity was high in the central area (150–180°W) The central North Pacific was characterized by intermediate iron and phosphorus supply in the euphotic zone East‐west gradient of phosphorus availability controls the N2fixation in the North Pacific through likely co‐limitation with iron

Accumulating studies have demonstrated the importance of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) during oncogenic transformation. However, because most lncRNAs are currently uncharacterized, the identification of novel oncogenic lncRNAs is difficult. Given that intergenic lncRNA have substantially less sequence conservation patterns than protein-coding genes across species, evolutionary conserved intergenic lncRNAs are likely to be functional. The current study identified a novel intergenic lncRNA, LINC00461(ECONEXIN) using a combined approach consisting of searching lncRNAs by evolutionary conservation and validating their expression in a glioma mouse model. ECONEXINwas the most highly conserved intergenic lncRNA containing 83.0% homology with the mouse ortholog (C130071C03Rik) for a region over 2500 bp in length within its exon 3. Expressions of ECONEXINand C130071C03Rikwere significantly upregulated in both human and mouse glioma tissues. Moreover, the expression of C130071C03Rikwas upregulated even in precancerous conditions and markedly increased during glioma progression. Functional analysis of ECONEXINin glioma cell lines, U87 and U251, showed it was dominantly located in the cytoplasm and interacted with miR-411-5p via two binding sites within ECONEXIN. Inhibition of ECONEXINupregulated miR-411-5p together with the downregulation of its target, Topoisomerase 2 alpha (TOP2A), in glioma cell lines, resulting in decreased cell proliferation. Our data demonstrated that ECONEXINis a potential oncogene that regulates TOP2A by sponging miR-411-5p in glioma. In addition, our investigative approaches to identify conserved lncRNA and their molecular characterization by validation in mouse tumor models may be useful to functionally annotate novel lncRNAs, especially cancer-associated lncRNAs.

Long‐term measurements of the light absorption coefficient (babs) obtained with a particle soot absorption photometer (PSAP), babs(PSAP), have been previously reported for Barrow, Alaska, and Ny‐Ålesund, Spitsbergen, in the Arctic. However, the effects on babsof other aerosol chemical species coexisting with black carbon (BC) have not been critically evaluated. Furthermore, different mass absorption cross section (MAC) values have been used to convert babsto BC mass concentration (MBC= babs/MAC). We used a continuous soot monitoring system (COSMOS), which uses a heated inlet to remove volatile aerosol compounds, to measure babs(babs(COSMOS)) at these sites during 2012–2015. Field measurements and laboratory experiments have suggested that babs(COSMOS) is affected by about 9% on average by sea‐salt aerosols. MBCvalues derived by COSMOS (MBC(COSMOS)) using a MAC value obtained by our previous studies agreed to within 9% with elemental carbon concentrations at Barrow measured over 11 months. babs(PSAP) was higher than babs(COSMOS), by 22% at Barrow (PM1) and by 43% at Ny‐Ålesund (PM10), presumably due to the contribution of volatile aerosol species to babs(PSAP). Using babs(COSMOS) as a reference, we derived MBC(PSAP) from babs(PSAP) measured since 1998. We also established the seasonal variations of MBCat these sites. Seasonally averaged MBC(PSAP) decreased at a rate of about 0.55 ± 0.30 ng m−3yr−1. We also compared MBC(COSMOS) and scaled MBC(PSAP) values with previously reported data and evaluated the degree of inconsistency in the previous data. We evaluated the accuracy of black carbon (BC) measurements at Barrow, Alaska, and Ny‐Ålesund, Spitsbergen, in the ArcticAt Barrow, seasonally averaged BC mass concentrations decreased in winter and summer at a rate of 0.55 ± 0.30 ng m−3yr−1during 1998–2015We established seasonal variations of BC at the two sites and evaluated the causes of the inconsistency of the previously reported data

An improved understanding of the variations in the mass concentration and size distribution of black carbon (BC) in the free troposphere (FT) over East Asia, where BC emissions are very high, is needed to reliably estimate the radiative forcing of BC in climate models. We measured these parameters and the carbon monoxide (CO) concentration by conducting the Aerosol Radiative Forcing in East Asia (A‐FORCE) 2013W aircraft campaign in East Asia in winter 2013 and compared these data with measurements made in the same region in spring 2009. The median BC concentrations in the FT originating from North China (NC) and South China (SC) showed different seasonal variations, which were primarily caused by variations in meteorological conditions. CO concentrations above the background were much higher in SC than in NC in both seasons, suggesting a more active upward transport of CO. In SC, precipitation greatly increased from winter to spring, leading to an increased wet deposition of BC. As a result, the median BC concentration in the FT was highest in SC air in winter. This season and region were optimal for the effective transport of BC from the planetary boundary layer to the FT. The count median diameters of the BC size distributions generally decreased with altitude via wet removal during upward transport. The altitude dependence of the BC size distributions was similar in winter and spring, in accord with the similarity in the BC mixing state. The observed BC concentrations and microphysical properties will be useful for evaluating the performance of climate models. Seasonal variation of black carbon concentrations over East Asia is shownBlack carbon concentrations were influenced by uplift and wet depositionThe size distribution of black carbon shifted to smaller sizes with altitude

We investigated the number and size of the particles (diameter:> 1 μm) in the extracorporeal circuit by means of a particle counter. We also evaluated the efficacy of pre-bypass filters in the extracorporeal circuit. During in vitro tests, the removal efficiency of the Pall PP3802 and the Harvey H-600 were 99.3% and 63.8% respectively after recirculating for 5 minutes. In clinical cases, the mean number of particles in the cardiopulmonary circuit after a 5 minute recirculation was 4287 ± 836 particles/ml (pcs/ml). After using the PP3802, it dropped to 52 ± 11 pes/ml. It is desirable to use a .2 μm prebypass filter for recirculating all cardiopulmonary products before operation.

The influences of mechanical actions on interfacial reactions between an iron plate and molten tin were examined. Tensile and compressive stresses up to 100 MPa on the iron plate did not significantly change the thickness of the reaction layer and the corrosion depth of the plate. However, when the iron plate was subjected to repeated rubbing with tungsten and Pb–Sn eutectic alloy wires and when it was immersed in the rotating molten tin, the reaction layer thickness decreased and the corrosion depth of the iron plate increased. From these results, it was concluded that the corrosion of the iron plate in the molten tin was enhanced by repeated rubbing with the solder alloy on the plated iron layer and also by flow of molten solder alloy down the surface of the soldering tip in the soldering process.

Black carbon aerosol plays a unique and important role in Earth's climate system. Black carbon is a type of carbonaceous material with a unique combination of physical properties. This assessment provides an evaluation of black‐carbon climate forcing that is comprehensive in its inclusion of all known and relevant processes and that is quantitative in providing best estimates and uncertainties of the main forcing terms: direct solar absorption; influence on liquid, mixed phase, and ice clouds; and deposition on snow and ice. These effects are calculated with climate models, but when possible, they are evaluated with both microphysical measurements and field observations. Predominant sources are combustion related, namely, fossil fuels for transportation, solid fuels for industrial and residential uses, and open burning of biomass. Total global emissions of black carbon using bottom‐up inventory methods are 7500 Gg yr−1in the year 2000 with an uncertainty range of 2000 to 29000. However, global atmospheric absorption attributable to black carbon is too low in many models and should be increased by a factor of almost 3. After this scaling, the best estimate for the industrial‐era (1750 to 2005) direct radiative forcing of atmospheric black carbon is +0.71 W m−2with 90% uncertainty bounds of (+0.08, +1.27) W m−2. Total direct forcing by all black carbon sources, without subtracting the preindustrial background, is estimated as +0.88 (+0.17, +1.48) W m−2. Direct radiative forcing alone does not capture important rapid adjustment mechanisms. A framework is described and used for quantifying climate forcings, including rapid adjustments. The best estimate of industrial‐era climate forcing of black carbon through all forcing mechanisms, including clouds and cryosphere forcing, is +1.1 W m−2with 90% uncertainty bounds of +0.17 to +2.1 W m−2. Thus, there is a very high probability that black carbon emissions, independent of co‐emitted species, have a positive forcing and warm the climate. We estimate that black carbon, with a total climate forcing of +1.1 W m−2, is the second most important human emission in terms of its climate forcing in the present‐day atmosphere; only carbon dioxide is estimated to have a greater forcing. Sources that emit black carbon also emit other short‐lived species that may either cool or warm climate. Climate forcings from co‐emitted species are estimated and used in the framework described herein. When the principal effects of short‐lived co‐emissions, including cooling agents such as sulfur dioxide, are included in net forcing, energy‐related sources (fossil fuel and biofuel) have an industrial‐era climate forcing of +0.22 (−0.50 to +1.08) W m−2during the first year after emission. For a few of these sources, such as diesel engines and possibly residential biofuels, warming is strong enough that eliminating all short‐lived emissions from these sources would reduce net climate forcing (i.e., produce cooling). When open burning emissions, which emit high levels of organic matter, are included in the total, the best estimate of net industrial‐era climate forcing by all short‐lived species from black‐carbon‐rich sources becomes slightly negative (−0.06 W m−2with 90% uncertainty bounds of −1.45 to +1.29 W m−2). The uncertainties in net climate forcing from black‐carbon‐rich sources are substantial, largely due to lack of knowledge about cloud interactions with both black carbon and co‐emitted organic carbon. In prioritizing potential black‐carbon mitigation actions, non‐science factors, such as technical feasibility, costs, policy design, and implementation feasibility play important roles. The major sources of black carbon are presently in different stages with regard to the feasibility for near‐term mitigation. This assessment, by evaluating the large number and complexity of the associated physical and radiative processes in black‐carbon climate forcing, sets a baseline from which to improve future climate forcing estimates.

We discussed the coolant composition which can guarantee both the excellent fluid abilities as the cutting fluid and the good treatability as the recyclable material toward the development of sustainable cutting fluid system. We prepared three distinctive coolants; amine-free (EX-102), mineral-oil and amine free (α-1000) and amine-containing (EM-L) coolants. All of the coolants have excellent emulsion stability for standing in the natural condition butα-1000 and EM-L showed a good anti-rust properties while EX-102 showed a rather poor anti-rust property for the cast iron chips. The vegetable oil has a rather poor stability in lubricating performance than that of the mineral oils and synthetic ester. The alkaline substances dissolved in the amine-free coolant can be separated by the surfactant treatment as well as the oil contents, while some alkaline substances, maybe di-ethanol amine, are still retained in the recovered water from the amine-containing coolant. The activated carbon treatment showed no significant change for all of the coolant. Amine-containing coolant forms no stable emulsion; the recovered water cant utilize as a diluents of newly water-soluble coolant while the amine-free coolants can form a stable emulsion to a certain extent. The most direct attack to make the cutting fluid sustainable would be developing a new emulsifier and corrosion inhibitor that can substitute for amine compounds and can show a good treatability like the amine-free cutting fluid.

RNF213was recently reported as a susceptibility gene for moyamoya disease (MMD). Our aim was to clarify the correlation between the RNF213genotype and MMD phenotype.

The operation of an economy is supported by the stock of materials in the form of durables and infrastructure such as machinery, equipment, buildings, and structures. The amount of durables and infrastructure or “capital stock” in the economy is of great interest in the literature of economics, and is usually measured in monetary terms based on the data on capital expenditure. In spite of its wide use by economists, this measure of “capital stock” is of very limited use for sustainable management of material stock because of its neglect of physical properties such as the mass and material composition. This paper proposes a new method of measuring the stock of long-lived durables and infrastructure in terms of the mass of its materials. This method is based on the WIO-MFA method [S. Nakamura et al. J. Ind. Ecol. 11 (2007) 50-63] and the capital formation matrix that is one of the supplementary tables of the input-output table. The method is applied to the Japanese input-output data with 400 sectors, with 9 types of metals (iron, ferroalloy, copper, zinc, lead, tin, aluminum, silver, and gold) and 8 types of plastics (thermo-setting resins, PE (low), PE (high), PS, PP, PVC, high-performance resins, and other resins) occurring as materials. It was found that substantial variations exist among sectors while fixed capital formation in the year 2000 weighs 518 kg per million Japanese yen on average in metals and plastics.

Abstract: Two-proton relative momentum distributions from the break-up channels 23Al→p+p+21Na and 22Mg→p+p+20Ne at an energy of 60–70 A MeV have been measured together with two-proton opening angles at the projectile fragment separator beamline (RIPS) in the RIKEN Ring Cyclotron Facility. The results demonstrate the existence of diproton emission component from single-step 2He for highly excited 23Al and 22Mg.

The changes in the morphology of ’ precipitates and the dislocation substructures at the vicinity of grain boundaries with creep deformation were investigated on a polycrystalline nickel-based superalloy, IN-100. The experiments were done at 1273K in the stress range of 70-180MPa with one set of samples deformed until rupture and another interrupted after reaching the minimum creep rate. The cuboidal ’ precipitates were regularly arrayed at the vicinity of grain boundaries and eutectic ’ precipitates and carbides were observed at the grain boundaries on as-heat treated IN-100. However, on both the creep interrupted and ruptured samples at all stress conditions, plate - like shaped ’ precipitates covered the grain boundaries. The width of the plate - like shaped ’ precipitates increased with decreasing the stress and is wider in the creep ruptured than in the creep ruptured samples. There were few dislocations in the grains and in the plate - like shaped ’ precipitates, but a large number of the dislocations were observed around the interface of the plate - like shaped ’ precipitates. TEM observations on the specimen creep ruptured at 180MPa indicated that strong constant was observed at the vicinity of grain boundaries, but weak contrast in the grain interior. These results suggested that drastic plastic deformation occurred only at the vicinity of grain boundaries. Consequently, the plate - like shaped ’ precipitates at the grain boundaries inhibited the dislocations movement and acted as the creep strengthener.

The single crystal nickel-based superalloy, CMSX-4, creep interrupted at the creep strain of 0.01 at 1273K-400MPa was aged at 1273K without stress to make clear the /' rafting mechanism. And the changes in the ' morphology and the dislocation substructures at the /' interface with simple aging time were studied and compared with the previous work at 1273K-250MPa. The cuboidal ' precipitates were regularly arrayed when the creep test was interrupted, but changed to the rafted /' structures normal to the pre-creep stress axis with simple aging time. The aspect ratio of the ' precipitates increased with increasing simple aging time up to 3.60x106s, attained to the maximum value and then decreased. The maximum value of the aspect ratio at 400MPa was lower than one at 250MPa. A number of dislocations were tangled with each other at the /' interfaces of the creep interrupted specimen. These tangled dislocations were only rearranged by simple aging and the dislocation density at the /' interfaces was almost constant, independent of simple aging time. All dislocations of the creep interrupted specimen at the /' interfaces with six kinds of the <110> Burgers vectors were detected equally. The proportion of the six kinds of the <110> Burgers vectors didn’t change with simple aging time. Consequently, dislocations at the /' interfaces were considered as not the misfit ones, but the traces of mobile dislocations in the  channels and the formation of the rafted /' structures might be closely correlated with the rearrangement of tangled dislocations at the /' interfaces.

The ghost images, i.e., latent image that is unerasable with visible light (LIunVL) and reappearing image appeared on computed radiography (CR) plates were completely erased by simultaneous exposing them to filtered ultraviolet light and visible light. Three different types of CR plates (Agfa, Kodak, and Fuji) were irradiated with 50 kV X-ray beams in the dose range 8.1 mGy to 8.0 Gy, and then conventionally erased for 2 h with visible light. The remaining LIunVL could be erased by repeating 6 h simultaneous exposures to filtered ultraviolet light and visible light. After the sixth round of exposure, all the LIunVL in the three types of CR plates were erased to the same level as in an unirradiated plate and no latent images reappeared after storage at 0°C for 14 days. The absorption spectra of deep centers were specified using polychromatic ultraviolet light from a deep-ultraviolet lamp. It was found that deep centers showed a dominant peak in the absorption spectra at around 324 nm for the Agfa and Kodak plates, and at around 320 nm for the Fuji plate, in each case followed by a few small peaks. After completely erasing CR plates, these peaks were no longer observed.

The antipsychotic drug zotepine [ZTP; 2-[(8-chlorodibenzo[b,f]thiepin-10-yl)oxy]-N,N-dimethylethan-1-amine] is known to have not only atypical antipsychotic effects but also antidepressive effects in schizophrenia patients. Norzotepine [norZTP; N-desmethylzotepine, 2-[(8-chlorodibenzo[b,f]thiepin-10-yl)oxy]-N-methylethan-1-amine] has been postulated to be a major metabolite of ZTP in humans. Here, we characterized norZTP through several in vitro studies and in animal models of psychosis, depression, and extrapyramidal symptoms (EPS) and compared the pharmacological profiles with those of ZTP. Although both compounds showed similar overall neurotransmitter receptor binding profiles, norZTP showed 7- to 16-fold more potent norepinephrine reuptake inhibition than ZTP. In a pharmacokinetic study, both ZTP and norZTP showed good brain permeability when administered individually in mice, although norZTP was not detected in either plasma or brain after intraperitoneal injection of ZTP. In the methamphetamine-induced hyperlocomotion test in mice, norZTP and ZTP showed similar antipsychotic-like effects at doses above 1 mg/kg i.p. In contrast, unlike ZTP, norZTP did not induce catalepsy up to 10 mg/kg i.p. norZTP significantly antagonized the hypothermia induced by reserpine [(3beta,16beta,17alpha,18beta,20alpha)-11,17-dimethoxy-18-[(3,4,5-trimethoxybenzoyl)oxy]yohimban-16-carboxylic acid methyl ester], suggesting in vivo inhibition of the norepinephrine transporter. In the forced-swim test, norZTP exerted an antidepressant-like effect at the effective doses for its antipsychotic action, whereas ZTP neither antagonized reserpine-induced hypothermia nor showed antidepressant-like effect. These results collectively demonstrate that norZTP exerts more potent inhibitory action than ZTP on norepinephrine transporters both in vitro and in vivo, presumably accounting for its antidepressant-like effect and low EPS propensity. Given that norZTP is the major metabolite observed in humans, norZTP may contribute to the unique clinical profiles of its mother compound, ZTP.

The morphology of the ’ precipitates in the single crystal nickel-based superalloy serviced as the second stage high pressure turbine blade of the aircraft engine was examined. The aim of this work was to estimate the temperature and the stress distribution, and the stress direction of the blade in service. The blade was cut into three parts parallel to (001) plane at 8, 40 and 64mm from the tip. These parts were named as the tip, middle and root parts. Furthermore, these three parts were cut into six parts parallel to {100} which were almost normal to the surface from the leading to the trailing edge at interval of 6mm. Microstructure observations by a FE-SEM were carried out on the thirty portions of each part parallel to (001) and {100} planes at the vicinity of the interface between the coating layer and the matrix in the suction and pressure sides. Most of the ’ precipitates contacted each other toward almost parallel to the surface at the vicinity of the interface in the blade. Especially, at the leading edge of the pressure side of the tip and middle parts, the rafted /’ structures start to collapse. Consequently, the blade in service, at the leading edge of the pressure side of the tip and middle parts were exposed to the highest temperature and stress conditions. And the multi-axial compressive stresses parallel to the blade surface were expected to act on the blade in service.

The rate controlling mechanism for creep deformation of the single crystal Ni-based superalloy, CMSX-4, at 1073-1273K and 250-700MPa was investigated. Constant load tensile creep tests and creep interrupted tests up to the minimum creep stage, were conducted in air. And TEM observations carried out on creep interrupted specimens. Stacking faults in the ’ were observed on creep interrupted specimens at the temperature lower than 1223K and the stress higher than 500MPa. The number of stacking faults increases monotonously with a decrease in temperature, and remarkably with an increase in stress. The stacking fault formation depends on creep temperature and stress conditions. The stress exponent of minimum creep rate, n value, and the activation energy for creep, Qc, were constant for all creep test condition range. From these results, the stacking fault formation has no influence on creep resistance and the rate controlling mechanism for creep deformation at the low temperature and high stress condition was not thought to be shearing the ’, but movement of the mobile dislocations in the  channel as well as at the high temperature and low stress condition.

Thalidomide is an effective drug for chronic inflammatory diseases, but the mechanism underlying its immunomodulatory action remains uncertain. Thalidomide has been reported to clinically improve chronic inflammatory granulomatous disorders. In such disorders, the granulomas consist of epithelioid cells, scattered lymphocytes and multinucleated giant cells (MNGC; Langhans-type cells). The present experimental approach permitted the reproduction of MNGC formation from peripheral blood monocytes and examination of thalidomide's effect on it. MNGC can be effectively generated from monocytes cultured in the presence of interleukin-4 (IL-4) and macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF) for 14 days. Thalidomide can inhibit the formation of MNGC in a dose-dependent manner. MNGC formation was partly inhibited by the presence of neutralizing TNF-α antibody in the responses induced by IL-4 and M-CSF. Autocrinal TNF-α production and modulation of cadhelin expression to regulate cell adhesion might be involved in this inhibitory action of thalidomide. Our results support thalidomide's clinical efficacy in the treatment of chronic granulomatous disorders (granulomatosis).

Utilisation of hydrogen is expected to be one of the solutions against the problems of exhaustion of fossil fuels and reduction of carbon dioxide emissions. Evaluation of the materials for hydrogen utilisation machines is required. The objectives of this study are the characterisation of fretting fatigue strength of lowalloy steel SCM435H and heatresistant steel SUH660, and the validation of effectiveness of nitriding in hydrogen gas environment. Fretting fatigue tests were conducted up to 3 × 107cycles. The decrease of fretting fatigue strength in hydrogen gas environment was found at the longlife region exceeding 107cycles. The amount of the decrease of the fretting fatigue limit at 3 × 107cycles was 11 for SCM435H and 15 for SUH660. However, at the stress level above the fretting fatigue limit in air, the finite life in hydrogen gas increased more than that in air. The cause of extension of fatigue life was the delay of start of stable crack propagation. Fretting fatigue crack, which was smaller than 200 µm in length, consumed approximately 60 of the fatigue life in hydrogen gas environment. Fretting fatigue crack was steadily propagated after the test was started in air. Observations of the fretted surface showed that the fretting wear process in hydrogen gas environment was dominated by adhesion. Tangential force coefficient was higher in hydrogen gas environment than that in air. It is considered that the adhesion has a close relation to crack initiation in hydrogen gas environment, and as a result, the failure of specimen occurred at a lower stress level comparing the fretting fatigue limit in air. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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It has been elucidated that the small creep strain must be essential to form the rafted γ/γ' structure using a single crystal nickel-based superalloy, CMSX-4. To confirm the amount of the strain required to make rafting, the single crystals interrupted the creep tests up to a strain of 0.01 at 1273K-250MPa was aged at 1273K without stress. To compare the difference in the morphology of the γ/γ' structure of the as-heat treated and the creep-interrupted single crystal with the simple aging, the as-heat treated single crystal was also aged. Microstructural observations by SEM were conducted for the specimens sectioned parallel to (100). The cuboidal γ' precipitates of the as-heat treated single crystal connected each other with three <100> directions after the simple aging. By employing the aging without stress on the specimen interrupted the creep test at a strain of 0.0074, the drastic morphological change in the γ/γ' structure was confirmed, that is, the γ/γ' structure changed to rafted one perpendicular to the creep-interrupted stress axis. The aspect ratios of the creep-interrupted specimens increased with increasing simple aging time, and attained to the maximum value at the simple aging time of 3.60x106s. The maximum value of the aspect ratios increase with increasing creep-interrupted strain and attained 4 at a strain of 0.0074. The dislocation density at the γ/γ' interface increases with increasing creep strain. Consequently, the formation of the rafted γ/γ' structure requires the dislocation substructure induced by the creep strain.

A newly developed high-speed color video camera, which can record 103 frames at rates of up to 1 million frames per second, has been used to obtain time-resolved color schlieren visualizations of shock wave phenomena. These trials constitute the first successful time-resolved application of the direction-indicating color schlieren method with frame rates up to 125 kHz. The instabilities of a supersonic flow over a double cone were made visible in unprecedented clarity, and the potential of the camera for schlieren visualizations was further demonstrated in experiments showing the explosion of a small firecracker and the bursting of a helium-filled toy balloon.

By taking advantage of the high efficiency of the Coulomb dissociation method, we studied the stellar 22Mg(p, γ)23Al reaction. The radiative width Γγ of the first excited state in 23Al was determined by measuring the intermediate-energy 23Al → 22Mg + p breakup process with a lead target.

A search for discrete absorption components in the ultraviolet spectra of the early-type binaries ?1Scorpii and AO Cassiopeiae has been undertaken by analyzing material secured with the International Ultraviolet Explorersatellite during an exclusively assigned interval of nearly 50 hr. While the spectra of ?1Sco definitely do not show the presence of such lines, the spectra of AO Cas do confirm them and permit us to draw some conclusions about where they may be formed.

Infrared absorption spectra of shallow electron centres in plastically deformed silver halide crystals are measured. The spectra consist of a sharp peak due to the isolated centres and a broad peak which shows splitting that may be due to the symmetry lowering along the dislocation edge, indicating some of the shallow electron centres are trapped on the dislocation lines. (© 2005 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

The structures of the mixed Langmuir−Blodgett (LB) films of conventional amphiphiles (CAs) and amphiphilic silane-coupling agents (SCAs) were investigated using IR spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, and friction force microscopy. By using CAs having hydrogenated alkyl chains and SCAs having perfluorinated alkyl chains, phase-separated structures were formed with domains consisting of CAs surrounded by SCAs. The size and shape of the domains depended strongly on the mixed components, the mixing ratios, and the subphase temperature. In particular, usage of a CA having hydrogenated and perfluorinated portions in the hydrophobic group as one of the components led to the formation of nanothreads. When the phase-separated mixed LB films were heated, SCAs formed covalent bonds with the substrates having silanol groups whereas CAs did not have such ability. Rinsing the heat-treated LB films with ethanol selectively removed CAs with the SCA regions intact, resulting in the fabrication of templates. The structures of the templates reflected those of the original phase-separated LB films. LB transfer of amphiphiles on the templates led to the confinement of the amphiphiles in regions with the size and shape delineated by the templates. These results demonstrate that a variety of amphiphiles can be confined two-dimensionally in a designed manner.

Aiming to develop a high-performance fiber-reinforced rubber from styrene–butadiene rubber (SBR), we applied a special technique using electron-beam (EB)-irradiation-induced graft polymerization to ultrahigh-molecular-weight-polyethylene (UHMWPE) fibers. The molecular interaction between the grafted UHMWPE fibers and an SBR matrix was studied through the evaluation of the adhesive behavior of the fibers in the SBR matrix. Although UHMWPE was chemically inert, two monomers, styrene and N-vinyl formamide (NVF), were examined for graft polymerization onto the UHMWPE fiber surface. Styrene was not effective, but NVF was graft-polymerized onto the UHMWPE fibers with this special method. A methanol/water mixture and dioxane were used as solvents for NVF, and the effects of the solvents on the grafting percentage of NVF were also examined. The methanol/water mixture was more effective. A grafting percentage of 16.4% was the highest obtained. This improved the adhesive force threefold with respect to that of untreated UHMWPE fibers. These results demonstrated that EB irradiation enabled graft polymerization to occur even on the inert surface of UHMWPE fibers. However, the mechanical properties of the fibers could be compromised according to the dose of EB irradiation. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 42: 2595–2603, 2004

We have examined the interfacial properties of several fluorinated surfactants in a water/CO2 mixture with a pendant drop tensiometer and revealed the relationships between the interfacial properties, the surfactant structure, and the microemulsifying power. We employed the following Aerosol-OT analogue surfactants that have two fluorinated tails: bis(1H,1H,5H-octafluoropentyl)-2-sulfosuccinate (di-HCF4), sodium bis(1H,1H,9H-hexadecafluorononyl)-2-sulfosuccinate (di-HCF8), sodium bis(1H,1H,2H,2H-heptadecafluorodecyl)-2-sulfosuccinate (8FS(EO)2), and sodium bis((1H,1H,2H,2H-heptadecafluorodecyl)-oxyethylene)-2-sulfosuccinate (8FS(EO)4). To discuss the effect of the fluorocarbon/hydrocarbon ratio in single surfactant molecules, water/CO2 interfacial tension (IFT) of a hybrid surfactant with one fluorocarbon and one hydrocarbon tail, that of a surfactant with a single fluorinated tail, and that of a hydrocarbon surfactant, Aerosol-OT (AOT), were examined. The hybrid surfactant employed was sodium 1-oxo-1-[4-(tridecafluorohexyl)phenyl]-2-hexanesulfonate (FC6-HC4), and the single-tailed surfactant was perfluoropolyether ammonium carboxylate (PFPECOONH4, CF3CF2(CF2OCF(CF3))4COONH4). All of the fluorinated AOT analogue surfactants exhibited an excellent level of activity at the water/CO2 interface compared with other fluorinated surfactants and AOT. With a larger hydrocarbon chain number in the CO2-philic tails (i.e., from 0 to 2), the IFT of the AOT analogue surfactants was increased. The area occupied by one surfactant molecule at the water/CO2 interface, A, and the critical microemulsion concentration, cμc, were determined and used to examine the water-to-surfactant molar ratio within a reversed micelle, W0^c, of the surfactants. The surfactants that form W/scCO2 microemulsions with a large W0^c were found to lower the interfacial tension efficiently irrespective of increases in temperature. To achieve the most desirable W0^c, the surfactant needs not only a high CO2-philicity of the tails but also a high Krafft point, properties which induce a low hydrophilic/CO2-philic balance.

Patients undergoing haemodialysis are predisposed to serum lipid abnormalities that can accelerate the development of atherosclerosis. Serum lipid levels must therefore be controlled over a long period. For patients with reduced renal function (including dialysis patients), special attention must be paid to hyperlipidaemia therapy, particularly drug selection. In this study, 30 mg/day fluvastatin was administered orally to five patients receiving maintenance haemodialysis. Their serum lipid levels and blood biochemistry were monitored during the 6 months of fluvastatin administration, and the pharmacokinetic parameters calculated. The therapeutic efficacy and safety of fluvastatin were demonstrated in this patient group. Furthermore, fluvastatin is not influenced by the dialysis membrane and does not accumulate in haemodialysis patients with hyperlipidaemia.

Palladium-catalyzed carbonylation, which was based on a ligand exchange reaction, efficiently converted immobilized aryl halides to amides under mild reaction conditions using molybdenum hexacarbonyl [Mo(CO)6] as the carbon monoxide source. The method easily operates without irradiating with microwaves and yields a wide range of highly pure amides after cleaving from the resin. The method could also be applied to the carbonylation of immobilized amines with aryl halides and to construct heterocyclic systems via a carbonylative cyclization.

In an attempt to estimate the strain energy of three-, four-, and five-membered cyclosilanes substituted with a heteroatom or group, [R2Si]nX (n = 2, 3, and 4; X = CH2, NCH3, O, SiH2, PCH3, and S; R = H and i-Pr), we have performed high-level ab initio molecular orbital calculations, some involving the ONIOM method. It is found that the hetero group X with a third-row element brings about the release of ring strain compared to the second-row analogues and that the effect of bulky substituents R on the strain energy works differently in the cyclosilanes with lone-pair electrons than in those without them.

The effects of the structural factors of surfactants such as CO2-philic tail length and molecular structure on the formation of water-in-supercritical CO2 (W/scCO2) type microemulsions were examined at various temperatures and pressures for fluorinated Aerosol-OT (AOT) analogue surfactants, sodium bis(1H,1H,5H-octafluoropentyl)-2-sulfosuccinate (di-HCF4), sodium bis(1H,1H,7H-dodecafluoroheptyl)-2-sulfosuccinate (di-HCF6), sodium bis(1H,1H,9H-hexadecafluorononyl)-2-sulfosuccinate (di-HCF8), sodium bis(1H,1H,2H,2H-heptadecafluorodecyl)-2-sulfosuccinate (8FS(EO)2), and sodium bis((1H,1H,2H,2H-heptadecafluorodecyl)oxyethylene)-2-sulfosuccinate (8FS(EO)4). With the all surfactants, a transparent single phase of water, a surfactant, and scCO2 mixture, or a W/scCO2 microemulsion phase, was formed under certain conditions. With an increase in the water composition, the microemulsion phase became a turbid W/scCO2 macroemulsion phase or completely separated into two phases. On the other hand, when pressure (CO2 density) or temperature was increased, the macroemulsion phase turned into a microemulsion phase. At CO2 densities &lt;0.85 g/cm³ and temperatures &lt;65 °C, di-HCF4 was unable to form a microemulsion. With an increase in fluorocarbon chain length (n) of di-HCFn, a microemulsion with a higher water-to-surfactant molar ratio (W0^c, 8 for di-HCF6 and 12 for di-HCF8 at CO2 density 0.85 g/cm³ and 35 °C) was formed. This suggests that the water/scCO2 interfacial activity increases with an increase in fluorocarbon chain length, resulting in the formation of stable W/scCO2 microemulsion. The superior ability of 8FS(EO)2 to stabilize W/scCO2 microemulsion with W0^c = 32 was found to be lowered with a replacement of the terminal CF3− by HCF2− of the fluorocarbon chains and an addition of oxyethylene units between the CO2-philic fluorocarbon chains and the hydrophilic sulfosuccinate group.